From Miffy
Dear Colleagues,
I feel very proud of the achievements of our teams and the celebration of our work with children and families highlighted in this Gowrie Gazette.
2025 Early Childhood Australia Conference: Universal Not Uniform
Lady Gowrie Tasmania was well represented at the recent Early Childhood Australia 2025 National Conference with a small group of our staff travelling to Perth to attend.
The conference was an opportunity for our sector to come together and shape the future of education and care and the legacy we leave for the next generation of children.
Keynote speaker, Stacy Benge, emphasised the value of integrating practical, real-world perspectives into early childhood education. She shared her conviction that children thrive when engaged in simple, genuine experiences. A strong proponent of child-led play, Stacy highlighted the critical role of play-based literacy in fostering children’s development.
A presentation from Cathrine Neilsen-Hewett introduced the attendees to the ‘6Rs Framework’ and supporting educators in responding to, and de-escalating behaviours that challenge. The 6Rs speak to the significant role of regulations, relationships, routines, respect, responses and reflection.
The staff who attended the conference have been sharing their valuable professional learning insights with their teams via staff meetings, staff notes and in-person mentoring sessions and this will continue into 2026.
Please reach out to your Regional Manager if you would like to know more about the conference and the presentations highlighted above.
Assessment & Rating Update
A huge congratulations to the following services for completing their Assessment and Rating process and achieving the following National Quality Standards ratings:
A huge congratulations to the following services for completing their Assessment and Rating process and achieving the following National Quality Standards ratings:
John Paul II OSHC – Exceeding
Midway Point LDC – Meeting (with three quality areas rated Exceeding)
We are incredibly proud of these teams for their dedication to providing high quality, inclusive and safe education and care.
A heartfelt thank you to our Education and Care Leadership Team, Service Managers, Educational Leaders and Educators for their ongoing commitment to creating nurturing and engaging play and learning environments where children can thrive.
Reward & Recognition Recipients
Educators across our education and care services have recently been nominated by their peers as Reward and Recognition recipients. From July to September 2025, we received several worthy nominations and the recipients were:
- Excellence in Our Work
- Leadership for Children
- Wonder, Investigation, Connection and Possibilities
From July to September 2025, we received several worthy nominations and after review, the recipients are:
Sean Pu (Glenorchy OSHC) – Excellence in Our Work
Mia Long (Richmond LDC) – Excellence in Our Work
Zoe Upton (Norwood OSHC) – Excellence in Our Work
Dom Pennell (Norwood LDC) – Wonder, Investigation, Connection and Possibilities
Congratulations to all our award recipients and we hope you enjoyed receiving your professional resource hamper!
To find out more and to nominate a colleague for an award, speak with your Service Manager or follow the link below:
Reward & Recognition Nomination Form
Thank you to everyone for your ongoing commitment and passion this year and I looking forward to seeing the continued growth and passion in 2026.
Wishing everyone a safe and restful Christmas break.
Many thanks,
Miffy Wedd
GENERAL MANAGER – EDUCATION AND CARE